Research Design for Cognitive Styles' Effects on Learning (Psychology)

This report delves into the realm of psychology research, specifically examining the relationship between cognitive styles and their impact on learning. The research employs a survey-based approach, emphasizing the importance of data collection directly from respondents to gather both subjective and objective information. The study focuses on educational psychology and cognitive development, highlighting the significance of understanding cognitive styles and socio-cultural effects on students to enhance their learning experiences and facilitate positive social change. The report outlines the criteria for selecting a survey as the primary research design, emphasizing its cost-effectiveness, ability to capture subjective data, and potential for high response rates from educational institutions. The research aims to provide insights into how cognitive styles influence learning outcomes and suggests how this knowledge can contribute to student development and their roles in society. The study references key publications within the field, solidifying the research's foundation in established psychological theories and practices.

Research theory, design and methods
Introduction
According to Vogt, Gardner and Haeffele (2012), research cases are of a wide variety, which
include individuals, institutions, events, social groups, and political entities among others. The
research design chosen by the researcher is quite unique to the corresponding research situation,
where he/she poses research questions to generally guide the whole procedure in a given
direction.
Research design categories
There are five main research design categories, which include surveys, interviews, experiments,
observational research, archival research and the combining of two or more of the
aforementioned categories. In our case, whereby the research involves psychology, we are going
to review the criteria by which are necessary in choosing the right research design and the
sampling techniques involved.
The field of psychology
The field of psychology is very wide and deals with many aspects of human nature. More so, in
the field of educational psychology, areas such as behaviorism, cognitive development, the
teacher-student connection, hereditary factors, impact of socio-cultural setting on child/student
development and the learning environment come into play.
Research question and design
The research that will be carried out will aim to provide information about cognitive styles and
their effects on learning. The three main goals of the study of cognitive development is the
transmission of culture-valued knowledge, development of learning skills and nurturing creative
thinking that would make him/her a potential contributor of new knowledge/wisdom (Demetriou,
Shayer, and Efklides, 2016). The research will also be carried out by primarily conducting a
survey, since it is most suited for the social and behavioral sciences (Vogt, Gardner and Haeffele,
2012). Conducting a survey is also economical since it deals with a sample of the population

being studied. The following criteria outline the importance of a survey when conducting the
psychology based research about cognitive styles and their effects on learning:-
 Data for this kind of research is best obtained directly from the respondents- subjective
data can be collected by asking the respondents a set of questions, whereby their inner
thinking such as attitudes, beliefs and values can be revealed. Alternatively, objective
data can be collected from captured records in institutions.
 Data can be obtained by concise answers to structured questionnaires- This allows the
researcher considerable control of the answers he/she expects from the survey.
 An adequate response rate is expected- The survey to be conducted on cognitive styles
and their effects on learning is most likely to have the support and participation of
educational institutions as they are interested in improving the performance and learning
experience of their students.
 Respondents are likely to give reliable information – In a social survey in educational
settings, most respondents feel obligated to be honest in giving information as a matter of
duty. Therefore, information obtained is likely to have a high percentage of accuracy
Conclusion
This research will assist in inspiring positive social change in the current status and in the future
as the psychological aspects of education are ever present and influence the development of
students throughout their educational life. This is embodied in the spirit of continuous
improvement through the process of measurement and accountability (Walden Social Change
Report, 2017) The better we understand psychological aspects of students such as cognitive
development and socio-cultural effects on them, the more we can assist them in their
development and assumption of real life roles in the society.

References
Demetriou, A., Shayer, M., and Efklides, A. Neo-Piagetian Theories of Cognitive Development:
Implications and applications for education. London: Routledge Publishers, 2016
Vogt, W.P, Gardner, D.C., Haeffele, L.M. When To Use What Research Design. New York:
Guildford Publications, 2012
Walden University, 2017. Walden 2020: AVision For Social Change. Minneapolis